Many programs are configured to collect information from various sources and aggregate the information before the information is reported. Based on the aggregated information, the programs may offer statistical analysis, trend reporting, aggregated graphing, and other useful information to the users of the aggregated information.
Often, aggregated information collected from various sources is presented in a geographic setting, allowing users to visualize the trends occurring for a particular event by geographic location. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is one example of such a geographic backdrop against which aggregated information may be presented. GIS is a public standard set forth by the U.S. government that includes a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is an example of an organization that uses GIS to present aggregated medical data. The CDC aggregates medical data from reported medical incidents and presents the aggregated medical data in a geographic setting in the form of an electronic map. Specifically, the CDC aggregates medical data obtained from reports provided by hospitals and physicians to determine disease outbreaks. In addition, the CDC also performs statistical analysis and trending on the aggregated medical data. For example, the CDC can use the aggregated medical data to determine the mortality rate associated with cancer by geographic area, race, and/or gender.